Dictionary Device, Dictionary Search Method, Dictionary System, and Server Device

1. A dictionary device comprising: a display; a touch panel; and a CPU which is configured to: display a sentence including a plurality of words on the display; detect a plurality of specified positions corresponding to a user's operation on the touch panel in a state in which the sentence including the words is displayed on the display; determine a movement state of the specified positions in accordance with the user's operation, after the specified positions on the touch panel are detected; search dictionary data stored in a memory, the dictionary data including example sentences or phrases including a plurality of words, for an example sentence or a phrase which includes words included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified positions, in accordance with the determined movement state of the specified positions; wherein, in determining the movement state of the specified positions, the CPU determines whether the specified positions are crossed along with movements of the specified positions; and wherein, when it is determined that the specified positions are crossed, the CPU searches the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including, in a reversed order, the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions.

2. The dictionary device according to claim 1 , wherein in determining the movement state of the specified positions, the CPU determines whether the specified positions are moved closer to each other along with the movements of the specified positions, and when it is determined that the specified positions are moved closer to each other, the CPU searches the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase in which the words included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified positions are adjoined.

3. The dictionary device according to claim 1 , wherein: in determining the movement state of the specified positions, the CPU determines whether the specified positions are simultaneously moved in a first direction or a second direction, and the CPU is configured to search the dictionary data for an example sentence including the words included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified positions when it is determined that the specified positions are simultaneously moved in the first direction, and the to search for a phrase including the words included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified positions when it is determined that the specified positions are simultaneously moved in the second direction.

4. The dictionary device according to claim 1 , wherein: the unit memory stores dictionary data in which a direction word is associated with an example sentence or a phrase which includes a plurality of words including the direction word, in determining the movement state of the specified positions, the CPU determines whether the specified positions are simultaneously moved in a first direction and a second direction, respectively, along with the movements of the specified positions, and when it is determined that the specified positions are simultaneously moved in the first direction and the second direction, respectively, the CPU searches the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase in which a first word included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified position determined to be moved in the first direction is included as a direction word, and a second word included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified position determined to be moved in the second direction is further included.

5. The dictionary device according to claim 1 , wherein, in determining whether the specified positions are crossed, the CPU is configured is to determine whether a first movement track at a first specified position of the specified positions and a second movement track at a second specified position of the specified positions are crossed.

6. The dictionary device according to claim 1 , further comprising the memory.

7. A dictionary search method for controlling a computer of an electronic device including a display and a touch panel, the dictionary search method comprising: displaying a sentence including a plurality of words on the display; detecting a plurality of specified positions corresponding to a user's operation on the touch panel in a state in which the sentence including the words is displayed on the display; determining a movement state of the specified positions in accordance with the user's operation, after the specified positions on the touch panel are detected; and searching dictionary data stored in a memory, the dictionary data including example sentences or phrases including a plurality of words, for an example sentence or a phrase which includes words included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified positions, in accordance with the determined movement state of the specified positions, wherein, in the determining of the movement state of the specified positions, it is determined whether the specified positions are crossed along with movements of the specified positions, and wherein, when it is determined that the specified positions are crossed, the searching comprises searching the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including, in a reversed order, the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a dictionary program for controlling a computer of an electronic device including a display and a touch panel, the dictionary program causing the computer to perform functions comprising: displaying a sentence including a plurality of words on the display; detecting a plurality of specified positions corresponding to a user's operation on the touch panel in a state in which the sentence including the words is displayed on the display; determining a movement state of the specified positions in accordance with the user's operation, after the specified positions on the touch panel are detected; and dictionary data stored in a memory, the dictionary data including example sentences or phrases including a plurality of words, for an example sentence or a phrase which includes words included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified positions, in accordance with the determined movement state of the specified positions, wherein, in the determining of the movement state of the specified positions, it is determined whether the specified positions are crossed along with movements of the specified positions, and wherein, when it is determined that the specified positions are crossed, the searching comprises searching the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including, in a reversed order, the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions.

9. A dictionary system comprising: a server device and a terminal device which include a communication function performed through a network, wherein: the terminal device includes: a display; a touch panel; and a computer which is configured to: display a sentence including a plurality of words on the display; detect a plurality of specified positions corresponding to a user's operation on the touch panel in a state in which the sentence including the words is displayed on the display; and send, to the server device, information of the detected specified positions and information of a plurality of words included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified positions; the server device includes: a memory which stores dictionary data including example sentences or phrases including a plurality of words; and a computer which is configured to: receive, from the terminal device, the information of the plurality of specified positions and the information of the plurality of words specified correspondingly to the specified positions; determine whether the specified positions are crossed along with movements of the specified positions, after the information of the specified positions and the information of the words specified correspondingly to the specified positions are received; when it is determined that the specified positions are crossed, search the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including, in a reversed order, the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions; and send an example sentence or a phrase found as a result of the searching to the terminal device; and the computer of the terminal device is further configured to: receive the example sentence or the phrase sent by the server device in response to the sending of the information of the specified positions and the information of the words corresponding to the specified positions; and display, on the display, the example sentence or the phrase received from the server device.

10. A server device of a dictionary search system comprising the server device and a terminal device, the server device and the terminal device including a communication function performed through a network, the terminal device including: (i) a display, (ii) a touch panel, and (iii) a computer which is configured to: (a) display a sentence including a plurality of words on the display; (b) detect a plurality of specified positions corresponding to a user's operation on the touch panel in a state in which the sentence including the words is displayed on the display; and (c) send, to the server device, information of the detected specified positions and information of words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions, the server device comprising: a memory which stores dictionary data including example sentences or phrases including a plurality of words; and a computer which is configured to: receive, from the terminal device, the information of the plurality of specified positions and the information of a plurality of words specified correspondingly to the specified positions; determine whether the specified positions are crossed along with movements of the specified positions, after the information of the specified positions and the information of the words specified correspondingly to the specified positions are received; when it is determined that the specified positions are crossed, search the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including, in a reversed order, the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions; and send an example sentence or a phrase found as a result of the searching to the terminal device.

11. A terminal device of a dictionary search system comprising a server device and the terminal device, the server device and the terminal device including a communication function performed through a network, the terminal device comprising: a display; a touch panel, and a computer which is configured to: display a sentence including a plurality of words on the display; detect a plurality of specified positions corresponding to a user's operation on the touch panel in a state in which the sentence including the words is displayed on the display; send, to the server device, information of the detected specified positions and information of the words included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified positions; receive an example sentence or a phrase sent from the server device in response to sending of the information of the specified positions and the information of the words corresponding to the specified positions; and display, on the display, the example sentence or the phrase received from the server device, wherein server device comprises a memory which stores dictionary data including example sentences or phrases including a plurality of words, and a computer which is configured to (a) determine whether the specified positions are crossed along with movements of the specified positions, after the information of the specified positions and the information of the words specified correspondingly to the specified positions are received from the terminal device, (b) when it is determined that the specified positions are crossed, search the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including, in a reversed order, the words included in the sentence and specified correspondingly to the specified positions, and (c) send the example sentence or the phrase, which is found as a result of the searching, to the terminal device.

12. A terminal device configured to communicate, through a network, with a server device including a memory which stores dictionary data including example sentences or phrases including a plurality of words, the terminal device comprising: a display; a touch panel, and a computer which is configured to: display a sentence including a plurality of words on the display; detect a plurality of specified positions on the touch panel; when the specified positions are moved, determine whether the specified positions are crossed along with movements of the specified positions, after the specified positions on the touch panel are detected; when it is determined that the specified positions are crossed, send, to the server device, a search request to search the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including, in a reversed order, the words included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified positions; and receive a search result for the search request from the server device, and display the search result.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a dictionary search program for controlling a computer of a terminal device including a display and configured to communicate, through a network, with a server device including a memory storing dictionary data including example sentences or phrases including a plurality of words, the dictionary search program being executable by the computer of the terminal device to cause the computer to perform functions comprising: displaying a sentence including a plurality of words on the display; detecting a plurality of specified positions on the touch panel; when the specified positions are moved, determining whether the specified positions are crossed along with movements of the specified positions, after the specified positions on the touch panel are detected; when it is determined that the specified positions are crossed, sending, to the server device, a search request to search the dictionary data for an example sentence or a phrase including, in a reversed order, the words included in the sentence displayed on the display and specified correspondingly to the specified positions; and receive a search result for the search request from the server device, and display the search result on the display unit.